Winter settled over Quebec with sovereign authority, burying the little white house under a thick, silent blanket. The snow, which had first been a curiosity for Marina, became the setting of their new normal: a muffled world with softened edges, where every sound seemed stifled, and the warmth inside took on the value of a sanctuary.
The weeks following the engagement were sweet, almost idyllic, despite the vigilance that remained in the background. Léna's threats seemed to have vanished with her return to France. News from their lawyer, Maître Dubois, was reassuring: the legal procedure was following its course, slowly, and Chris was scrupulously respecting his withdrawal, limiting himself to the monthly transfers that landed in the sequestered account, untouched. Peace was a fragile pl
